Amalgamator



Feb. 19,1924 1,483,982 I C..MEY ER ET AL mmmwon Filed Oct. 20. 192 1 659491.55 MES 5R- HEN/er B. M5405.

Patented Feb. 19, 1924.

UNEEED STATES rases-e2 F earner or CHARLES MEYER AND HENRY B. MEADE, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS T FRANK A. GILLESPIE, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

AMALGAMATOR.

Original application filed June 2, 1921, Serial No. 474,344; Divided. and this application filed October 20, v

' should be read and considered in connection therewith.

' The particular objects of our invent on are to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of existing types of amalgamators, and to provide relatively'simple and efficient means for causing all of the metal carrying material to be brought into direct contact with mercury coated plates, thereby insuring theycollection of the relatively finer, or microscopic particles of precious metals; and further to provide an apparatus having a portion that may be readily adjusted so as to control the flow of metal bearing material that passes through the amalgamator.

VJith t-he foregoing and other objects in view, our invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an amalgamator of our improved construction.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a practical. embodiment of our invention, 10 designates an elongated trough or launder which occupies an inclined position on a suitable supporting frame work 11, and arranged in the, upper portion of the higher end of the trough, is a table 12, on top of which is located an amalgam plate 13 which receives the pulp, or material to be treated from a chute or discharge pipe 14.

Positioned within the trough or launder, and leading downwardly therethrough, from the lower end of table 12, is a series of riffies 15 arranged in stepped formation, and

Serial No. 509,034.

plates 16, of suitable material, preferably copper.

Arranged immediately above these stepped rifHes, and occupying a plane substantially parallel with the inclined plan'e occupied by said ritlles, is a plate 17, preferably of metal, from the under side of which extends downwardly and forwardly, a series of curved baflie plates 18, of suitable metal, preferably of copper. The number ofthese' plates corresponds with the number of stepped riflies and the lower edge of each curved plate terminates a short distance above one of the plates 16. i y

The inclined plate 17 7 is suspended by means of links 19, from a fixed, frame-20, which'is supported by the side walls of the troughlO, and suitable means is provided for swinging the plate 17' lengthwise so as to move the covered bafileplates toward or away from the 'riffles. This means comprises a handle 21, the lower end of which is pivotally connected to the central portion of plate 17. The upper portion of said handle carries a transverse pin 22, which is adapted to engage in any one of a series of notches 23 formed in a part of the supporttrough with mercury taps 25.

In the operation ofv our improved amalgamator, the plates 13, 16, 17 and 18 are all coated with mercurypri'or to thedelive'ry of pulp or metalbearing material to the trough, and as the j pulp is discharged through pipe or chute 14, a certain amount of mercury is mixed therewith so thatthe metal and mercury carrying pulp after discharging on'to plate 13, will, by gravity, flow downwardly over the stepped riffles that are covered with the amalgam plates 16.

As the pulp thus flows downwardly over the riffles, the mercury and the free metal within said pulp, will by'reason of its gravity, pass downward on to the amalgam plates 16, so that the free metal will amalgamate with the mercury flowing over said plates. The lighter portion of the pulp, or that portion in the upper strata of the vol- ,ume, flowing over the rifiies, will impinge against the lower portions of the Curved bafbaflie plates, thereby amalganiating with the mercury. The mercury passes downward throu-gl-i the trough and finally lodges in'one of the mercury pockets 24C.

In-as-inuch' as the plates 16' and 18 are coated with mercury,practically all of the particles of material in the pulp will at some time during the flow of the pulp between said plates, be brought into contact with a-mercury coated surface and as a result, all of the metallic values will'be extracted :tromsaid pulp and which'values amalgamated with the mercury, will pass into the pockets 24, and finally into andthrough the taps 25, where the mercury bearing the heavier particles of metal will be separated from that of .thc particles bearing the lighter metal.

By proper manipulation of the handle 21, the plate 17 carrying the curved bafile'plates 18, may be swung lengtliwise'so as to adjust the positions of the baffle plates toward or away from therifiles, and consequently enabling the curved baflie plates to be located sothat they will act to the greatest advantage in engaging the upper strata "of the pulp flowing downwardly over the ritiles.

Thus, it will be seen that we have provided a relatively simple, practical and efiicient apparatus for the rapid and economical handling of metal bearing material, and particularly material in pulp form that car ries relatively fine or microscopic parlicles of precious metal.

Obviously, minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various partsot our improved ainalganiator may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of our invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1 An amalgamator comprising a series of stepped rifHes having aii'ialgainating surfaces, and a series of battle plates above the riffies, each of said plates being of concave form and associated with the respective riffie to effect a vertical whirling motion of pulp traversing the riflies.

2. An amalgainator comprising a series of stepped rifiles having ainalgain'ating surfaces, a series of baflie plates, one for each of said riflies, each of saidplates being of concave form and associated with the respective riflle to eiiect a vertical whirling motion of pulp traversing the rifiies, and means for ad usting all of the riiiles simultaneously to vary the whirling motion effected.

8. An amalgamator comprising a series of stepped rifiies having ainalga'm-ating surfaces, a series of baflie plates, one tore-ach' of said riffles, each of said plates being of concave form and associated with the respective rifiie to effect a vertical whirlingmotion of pulp traversing the rifles, inean'stor adjusting all of the riffles simultaneously to vary the whirling motion eifected, comprising a" frame, a plate carrying the bafiie plates and having a link connection with the frame and a lever pivoted to the plate and having an adjustable connection with the frame,

4. An amalgamator comprising a series of stepped rifiies having anial gai'nating surfaces, a series of battle plates, one for each of said riffles, means for adjusting all of the bafiies simultaneously to vary the whirling motion eitl ected, comprising a frame,' a member to which the baffle plates are fixed and having an operative connection with the sis frame, and a second member pivoted on the first member andhavin g an adjustablefconnectr'on with the frame.

5. An am algam ator comprising V seriesof steppedriffies having amalgamating sur faces, and-a series of curved baffle plates above the rifiies, each of said plates being associated with the respective i-iflie to 'efifect a vertical whirling motion otpulp traversing the riffles.

6. An amalgamator coinl'arising a series CHARLES MEYER- HENRY B. M-EADE. 

